Ek Box - Session 81

Ek Box - Session 81
Ek Box is Evan Baggs and Katsuya Sano, a duo that's come into focus as sleek, minimal deep house makes way for grittier, quirkier sounds. Their first record appeared on Cabaret Recordings last year as the label was experiencing a similar shift in direction. Their Session 81 white label goes further into the meeting of classic drum machines and atonal melodies that's increasingly finding traction in their milieu. Like the recent work of Spacetravel, Binh and Onur Özer, these tracks sound like the result of hardware-only sessions recorded in real time. Whether or not this is the case, there's a steamy sheen to the music's aesthetic and a feeling of immediacy to the admittedly static structures, like you can sense the phantom afterimages of their hands dancing on the controls.

Another trait Ek Box share with their contemporaries is a knack for satisfying basslines and a preference for oddball melodies. "Session 81" has the latter in the form of a squelching lead line that covers a queasily chromatic set of pitches; the former comes in a soft, well-placed tom figure. Drum machine patterns are regularly changed and subjected to external processing, while a doggedly monotone acid line pushes its way to the foreground. Its appearance could be a highlight for some, though it detracts from the many details already present.

"Session 74" is powered by a rolling low-end that dovetails perfectly with a great combination of rippling synth and what might be a low-bit, grainy sample. Like other top-notch grooves, it's tough to put your finger on what makes it move so well, but it all becomes clear in the dance. Hopefully more nuggets from Baggs and Sano's sessions are on the way.